Attachment for shower-baths.



- H. B. PITCHER. ATTACHMENT FOR SHOWER BATHS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2 19.15.

Patented Feb. 25, 1919.

HUGH B. PITCHER, 0F BOONTON, NEW JERSEY.

ATTACHMENT FOR SHOWER-BATES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1919.

Application filed June 2, 1915. Serial No. 31,647.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGH B. PITGHER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Boonton, in the county of Morris and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Shower-Baths, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates in general to a holdfast connection for demountably attaching any type of conduit to a water faucet and particularly relates to an improved means for demountably attaching a shower bath to the usual type of bath-tub faucets.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a readily manipulated means for quickly and positively securing a shower bath or similar device to any of the ordinary water faucets, now in general use without the use of tools and without re-arranging the usual fittings.

Another object is to provide a simple form of connection for securing the shower bath in position at any desired angle inclined from the vertical and a further object of my invention is to provide an attachment which will be ornamental in appearance and which at the same time will provide for the usual flow direct into the tub should this be desired.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a universal socketed connection with the faucet and which can be drawn into water tight engagement with the faucet irrespective of its size or shape.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obvious from an inspection of the accompanying drawings and in part will be more fully set forth in the following particular description of one form of mechanism embodying my invention, and the invention also consists in certain new and novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bath tub equipped with a shower bath and; showing a preferred embodiment of my invention in side elevation thereon; and Y Fig. 2 is a plan view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical view partly in section of the front of the connection shown in Fig. 2; and

l Fig. 4 is an enlarged partially in vertical section of the connection shown engaging the faucet nozzles.

In the following description and in the claims, parts will be identified by specific names for convenience of expression but they are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit.

In the drawings there is shown a bath tub 3 provided at one end with the usual fixture which in this illustration is shown to include a cold water faucet 4 and hot water faucet 5 projecting horizontally toward each other and uniting in an outlet nozzle 6 depending vertically therefrom. While the invention may be utilized I in connection with any type of device designed to be attached to the fixture, the invention is particularly applicable to and will be described in connection with a' curtainless shower bath. This type of shower bath is supported solely from its base and includes a vertically extending hollow upright column 7, supported from the forward part of a base 8 and leading to one or more spray heads 9 positioned above the top of the tub. This base is horizontally disposed and forms in effect a broad fiatsU- tube, the forward portion of which is upturned and provided with an internally threaded end 10 into which is fitted vthe lower end of the column 7. The horizontal portion 11 of the tube is designed'to po-;

sition the column 7 forwardly of the fixture but it is obvious that in order to reduce leverage on the base, this horizontal portion should be as short as the fixtures will permit or the hangers hereinafter de' scribed should engage'the plate as far from.

of the usual fixture coupling. The lower, V

endof the extension or head of the T'is externally screw-threaded and provided with a closing cap 14 by means of whichthe open end of the extension may be closed and the flow from the fixture to the tub diverted through the shower bath. The cap is attached to the base by means of a short length of chain 15'one end of which is aflixed by 'means of a pin 16 vtothe base and the opposite end of which is pivotally connected to the shank of a button 17 which projects centrally from the underside of the cap. The outer periphery of the cap is knurled as shown at 18 by means of which it may be readily screwed to and from its closing position. I

The arm 12 of the base tube is centered within a supporting plate 19 designed to be horizontally disposed when the plate is mounted in position on the faucet. The portion of the tube projecting above the plate constitutes a nipple 20 which fits either within the nozzle or which is designed to surround the nozzle in those cases where the nipple is of sufficient diameter to receive the nozzle. The nipple is designed to form an external spherical bearing surface 21 constituting a universal, adjustable connection with the outlet nozzle. The supporting plate is formed substantially rectangular in plan with each corner having an aperture 22 extending therethrough. The device is removably supported in position by means of a pair of hangers 23 each hanger being of an inverted U-shape with threaded shanks 24 adapted to extend through one of the pair of apertures. The crotch portion of each hanger is rounded to fit over the horizontally extending portions of the faucets 3 and 4, one hanger for each faucet. The threaded shanks below the plate are each provided with a wing nut 26 for tightening 1 up the connection.

To mount the shower bath in position on the usual type of bath room fixtures now in general use, the coupling is removed, if such a coupling is present, and the supporting plate brought up under the outlet nozzle with the nozzle positioned either within or without the nipple depending upon the type of nozzle and. nipple used. Should an extremely large nozzle be used the plate may constitute a bearing-surface engaging theend of the nozzle, in which case a packing washer-27 may be positioned between the nozzle and plate with advantage to prevent any leaking at this point. The two hangers are dropped into position over the faucets allowing the threaded shanks to fall through the apertures therebelow in the supporting plate. The nuts are then threaded onto the lower end of the shanks and drawn up tight into engagement with the plate thus forcing the nipple into firm engage.

ment with the nozzle. As the nuts are drawn into their tightened position, the de sired angular disposition of'the column 7 a inay' be attained by tightening one or more of the nutson one side while slightly loosening'the nuts on the other side, thewasher having sufiicient give to permit any slight distortion" of the parts.

1 Should a be desired to run thewater directlyrinto the tub, in the usual manner, the capis unscrewed, the chain PI'QVGDtlIIglt port is missing the hangers can be readily modified to engage any available support.

The resultant line of .pull of the hangers is parallel to the outlet nozzle and in this way a secure and water-tight connection is made therewith without any special construction being provided. The pivotal connection between the chain and cap permits the cap. to be rotated on the threaded extension with-.

out twisting the chain.

The plate is preferably made as largeas convenient so as tov cause the hangers to engage the same at points as remote as possible from the faucet and thus provide a wide bearing surface for supporting the weight of the shower bath. The plate is.

While I have shown and described, and

have pointed out in the annexed claims, certain novel features of my invention, it will 1 be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its op eration may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I v

claim 1. A shower bath including a spherical 7 bearing constituting a nipple adapted to fit in the nozzle outlet of a faucet, an outlet leading from said nipple, an upstanding pipe carried by the connection and in fluid communlcation with'sald outlet, and a;de-'

pending hanger for supporting said nipple in angularly adjusted position from an element of the, faucet positioned above the nozzle.

2. A shower bath connection comprising a casting including a nipple adapted to fit adjustably into the outlet of a faucet, an

upstanding supply pipe fixed to said castmg, a; supporting plate .encirclin g the nipple intermediate its length and provided with corners and a depending hanger for support- 1ngsa1d plate adj acent its corners from an element of the faucet, said hanger provided with means for drawing upwardly into engagement with the nozzle at any desired angle thereby to vary the angular disposition of said upstanding pipe relative to said faucet.

3. In a device of the class described, a plate provided with an opening therethrough, a tube fitted in said opening having its upper end in the form of a spherical bearing and provided with a passageway adapted to have fluid communication with a faucet outlet nozzle, a hanger engaging said plate at points remote from said opening and adapted to engage a supporting element positioned above the nozzle and means acting on the hanger at more than two points for drawing the spherical bearing squarely into engagement with the faucet nozzle and a conduit in fluid communication with said tube.

4. A base supported shower bath including a column, an L-shaped lateral extension from the bottom thereof, the open end of the extension facing upward and provided with a curved bearing adapted to engage a faucet nozzle and vertically extending supporting means engaging said extension and coacting with said bearing thereby to support said shower bath in upright position without engaging the column,

5. A base supported shower bath includ ing an L-shaped lateral extension from the bottom thereof, the open end of the extension facing upward and adapted to engage in a faucet nozzle, said open end constituting in effect a universal ball and socket connection adapted to engage in the faucet nozg zle at a plurality of angles, a compressible washer adapted to be disposed between said open end and the nozzle and fastening means for drawing said open end into engagement with the washer thereby to force the same into tight engagement with the faucet.

6. In a shower bath, the combination of a casting forming a U-shaped base portion provided with a horizontally disposed passageway and including a vertically disposed arm forming a T with the passageway at one end thereof, the upper end of said arm being rounded to constitute a bearing for fitting in the open end of a faucet, a column supported in adjustable upright position by the base portion at the opposite end of the passageway, spaced from the portion of the base engaging the faucet and a hanger engaging the base portion for holding the T firmly against the faucet. and thus hold the column firmly in upright position, said column being free to expand or contract without affecting the connection with the faucet.

7. An article of manufacture including an integral casting in the form of a T, the stem portion of which is adapted to constitute a horizontally disposed pipe leading to an outlet, designed to open to a vertical disposed spray head supply pipe, one head of the T constituting a depending outlet adapted to discharge downwardly at an angle to the vertical, said T provided with means at the bottom thereof for selectively controlling the fiowithrough either of the outlets and adjustable means for suspending the casting in place to connect the upper end of the head with a faucet and to vary the direction of the discharge from the depending outlet.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination with a bath tub faucet, of an attachment including a base adapted to engage under the faucet, a supply pipe provided with spray heads and means for adjusting the position of the spray heads and supply pipe relative to said faucet.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination with a bath tub faucet, of an at tachment including a base adapted to enage under the faucet, a supply pipe provided with spray heads, means for adjusting the position of the spray heads and supply pipe relative to said faucet and manual control means carried by the base for controlling the How from the faucet.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 20 day of May, A. D., 1915.

HUGH B. PITOHER.

Witnesses:

W. S. ORTON, S. A. THORNTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O. 

